Aiming to Further Enhance Value Through Proprietary Quality Assurance: Katsunuma Wineries Club Quality Examination Committee

Katsunuma in Yamanashi Prefecture is a leading wine-producing region known to many.
It is also famous for its history in the Meiji era, when Ryuken Tsuchiya and Masanari Takano traveled to France to study winemaking techniques, leading to the creation of the first authentic Koshu wine upon their return.

Inheriting the ambitions of these young men, initiatives are in place to introduce high-quality Koshu wine to the world.
One such initiative is the Katsunuma Wineries Club, currently comprised of seven wineries.
Did you know that rigorous evaluations are conducted before selling Koshu under the Katsunuma Bottle Wine label?

It is a voluntary initiative—the first in Japan—modeled after France's A.O.C. system to guarantee origin and quality.
Held twice a year in March and August, this process has been carried out for 35 years since the club was established.
That means it has already been conducted around 70 times.
The evaluators are the producers themselves. However, rather than scoring their own wines or praising one another, all wines are served blind, so the producers do not even know their own wine's assigned number. (Though perhaps they can tell once they taste it?)
The position of committee chairperson rotates annually for a one-year term, and this year's chairperson is Chief Winemaker Tamura of Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery.

[1. Document Review]

As a prerequisite,
1. Must be made from 100% Koshu grapes grown in Katsunuma
2. Must be wine fermented in Katsunuma
are required conditions for submission, so documents verifying these facts are submitted to the committee chairperson in advance for review.

[2. Sensory Evaluation]

Wines that pass the document screening are lined up for a blind tasting, where all judges taste every wine and evaluate them using a 20-point scoring system.
The evaluators consist of the producers themselves and invited outside experts.

Through these evaluations,Only wines scoring 15 points or higher are permitted to be sold indefinitely as Katsunuma Wine in Katsunuma bottles.
For wines scoring 12 points or higher, a sales period is set based on the specific score range. If a winemaker wishes to continue sales after this period expires, the wine must be resubmitted for evaluation. (Naturally, permission and the new sales period are determined based on the score at that time.)

This demonstrates just how strict the evaluation process is.
Voluntarily subjecting their own wines to such rigorous scrutiny before releasing them to the world reflects a strong commitment on their part to protect and further elevate the quality of Katsunuma bottle wine.
Some judges also mentioned that while the primary goals are quality assurance and technical improvement, the process simultaneously helps hone their own wine evaluation skills.
Furthermore, knowing that Katsunuma bottle wines have passed through such a rigorous process to earn their place on store shelves allows consumers to purchase them with confidence and trust in their quality.

•Kinjo Wine
•Kurambon Wine
•Shirayuri Winery
•Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery
•Soryu Winery
•Haramo Wine
・Marufuji Winery

Currently, it consists of these seven wineries:

The green 720ml bottle embossed with Ryuken Tsuchiya and Masanari Takano is its hallmark.
When you see this Katsunuma bottle, you can be sure:“This is a truly delicious Koshu that earned passing marks in a rigorous evaluation!”There is no doubt about it.

・Shirayuri Winery / Katsunuma Koshu 2021

・Marufuji Winery / Rubaiyat Koshu Sur Lie 2020

・Marufuji Winery / Rubaiyat Koshu Barrel Aged 2020

・Marufuji Winery / Rubaiyat Koshu Sur Lie 5-Year Aged 2015

・Soryu Winery / Katsunuma no Koshu Barrel Aged

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If you are looking for a delicious Koshu wine to try, please use this as a guide!